Job 34
1 And Elihu commenced, and said,
And Helyu pronounside, and spak also these thingis,
2 Hear, O ye wise men, my words; and ye that have knowledge, give ear unto me.
Wise men, here ye my wordis, and lerned men, herkne ye me; for the eere preueth wordis,
3 For the ear proveth words, as the palate tasteth the food.
and the throte demeth metis bi taast.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us acknowledge between ourselves what is good.
Chese we doom to vs; and se we among vs, what is the betere.
5 For Job hath said, “I am righteous; and God hath taken away justice from me.
For Job seide, Y am iust, and God hath distried my doom.
6 Should I lie concerning the justice due me? incurable is [my wound from] the arrow I bear in me without any transgression.”
For whi lesynge is in demynge me, and myn arowe is violent with out ony synne.
7 What man is there like Job, who drinketh scorning like water,
Who is a man, as Joob is, that drynkith scornyng as watir?
8 And is on the road to keep company with the wrong-doers, and to walk with men of wickedness?
that goith with men worchynge wickidnesse, and goith with vnfeithful men?
9 For he hath said, “It profiteth a man nothing when he acteth according to the pleasure of God.”
For he seide, A man schal not plese God, yhe, thouy he renneth with God.
10 Therefore ye men of sense hearken unto me: far is it from God to practise wickedness; and from the Almighty to do wrong!
Therfor ye men hertid, `that is, vndurstonde, here ye me; vnpite, `ethir cruelte, be fer fro God, and wickidnesse fro Almyyti God.
11 For the work of a son of earth doth he recompense unto him, and according to the path of man doth he permit things to occur to him.
For he schal yelde the werk of man to hym; and bi the weies of ech man he schal restore to hym.
12 Yea, surely God will not condemn unjustly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
For verili God schal not condempne with out cause; nether Almyyti God schal distrie doom.
13 Who hath given him a charge concerning the earth? or who hath intrusted [him] the whole world?
What othere man hath he ordeyned on the lond? ether whom hath he set on the world, which he made?
14 If he were to set his heart upon man, he would gather unto himself his spirit and his breath:
If God dressith his herte to hym, he schal drawe to hym silf his spirit and blast.
15 All flesh would perish together, and the son of earth would return again unto dust.
Ech fleisch schal faile togidere; `and a man schal turne ayen in to aisch.
16 If then thou wishest to understand, hear this: give ear to the sound of my words.
Therfor if thou hast vndurstondyng, here thou that that is seid, and herkne the vois of my speche.
17 Is it possible that he who hateth justice should govern? or wilt thou condemn the righteous mighty One?
Whether he that loueth not doom may be maad hool? and hou condempnest thou so myche him, that is iust?
18 [Is it fit] to say to a king, Thou art worthless? and to princes, Ye are wicked?
Which seith to the kyng, Thou art apostata; which clepith the duykis vnpitouse, `ethir vnfeithful.
19 Whereas he is one that showeth no favor to chieftains, and distinguisheth not the rich before the indigent; for all of them are the work of his hands.
`Which takith not the persoones of princes, nether knew a tyraunt, whanne he stryuede ayens a pore man; for alle men ben the werk of hise hondis.
20 In a moment will they die, and in the midst of the night; people are moved, and pass away: and the mighty will be removed without a human hand.
Thei schulen die sudeynli, and at mydnyyt puplis schulen be troblid, `ethir schulen be bowid, as othere bookis han; and schulen passe, and schulen take `awei `a violent man with out hond.
21 For big eyes are upon the ways of man, and all his steps doth he see.
For the iyen of God ben on the weies of men, and biholdith alle goyngis of hem.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the evil-doers can hide themselves.
No derknessis ben, and no schadewe of deeth is, that thei, that worchen wickidnesse, be hid there;
23 For he need not direct [his attention] a long time upon man, that he should enter into judgment before God.
for it is `no more in the power of man, that he come to God in to doom.
24 He breaketh down mighty men without [long] searching, and placeth others in their stead.
God schal al to-breke many men and vnnoumbrable; and schal make othere men to stonde for hem.
25 For the reason that he knoweth their deeds: therefore he overturneth them in the night, and they are crushed.
For he knowith the werkis of hem; therfor he schal brynge yn niyt, and thei schulen be al to-brokun.
26 Among wicked men doth he strike them, in the place where [many] see them:
He smoot hem, as vnpitouse men, in the place of seinge men.
27 Because they have departed from following him, and have not considered all his ways.
Whiche yeden awei fro hym bi `castyng afore, and nolden vndurstonde alle hise weies.
28 Bringing before them the cry of the indigent, and the cry of the afflicted which he had to hear.
That thei schulden make the cry of a nedi man to come to hym, and that he schulde here the vois of pore men.
29 When he now granteth rest, who will condemn [him]! and when he hideth his face, who can behold him? whether it be against a nation, or against one man, it is the same:
For whanne he grauntith pees, who is that condempneth? Sithen he hidith his cheer, who is that seeth hym? And on folkis and on alle men `he hath power `to do siche thingis.
30 That no hypocritical man may reign, that such shall not be a mare to the people.
Which makith `a man ypocrite to regne, for the synnes of the puple.
31 For truly it is only fitting to say unto God, “I bear [cheerfully], I will not do any wrong;
Therfor for Y haue spoke to God, also Y schal not forbede thee.
32 What I cannot see myself, do thou truly teach me; if I have done what is unjust, I will do so no more.”
If Y erride, teche thou me; if Y spak wickidnesse, Y schal no more adde.
33 Should he then according to thy view send a recompense, because thou hast rejected him? “Because thou must choose, and not I?” and what thou knowest, do speak.
Whether God axith that wickidnesse of thee, for it displeside thee? For thou hast bigunne to speke, and not Y; that if thou knowist ony thing betere, speke thou.
34 Men of sense will say unto me, and every wise man who heareth me,
Men vndurstondynge, speke to me; and a wise man, here me.
35 That Job hath not spoken with knowledge, and that his words are without intelligence.
Forsothe Joob spak folili, and hise wordis sownen not techyng.
36 Oh that Job may therefore be probed continually, in order to give answers against sinful men.
My fadir, be Joob preuede `til to the ende; ceesse thou not fro the man of wickidnesse,
37 For he addeth unto his sin transgression: among us he uttereth too many loud words, and multiplieth his speeches against God.
`that addith blasfemye ouer hise synnes. Be he constreyned among vs in the meene tyme; and thanne bi hise wordis stire he God to the doom.
